"Honestly," Xia Qingyu snorted and closed the door tightly, walking towards the floor-to-ceiling window with displeasure.
Nie Qingkong had probably spent too much time with Xiang Xueyuan, her brain had gone a bit abnormal.
And that person called Xifu.
In Xia Qingyu's eyes, this entire family was somewhat mentally unwell.
Resettling by the floor-to-ceiling window, Xia Qingyu gazed at the sky.
A rainbow bridge arched there, showcasing the brilliance and beauty after the torrential rain.
"Sister... you must come oh..." Xia Qingyu murmured, her gaze gentle and full of longing, "I'll wait for you... no matter how long, I'll wait..."
That day, Xiang Xueyuan returned relatively early, and the four of them had dinner together at the table.
Xifu acted as if nothing had happened, her laughter clear and pleasant like tinkling bells, occasionally acting cute towards Xiang Xueyuan and bantering with Tarik.
Xia Qingyu remained quiet throughout, meticulously cutting the cod on her plate with her knife and fork.
The cod tasted good; she liked it very much.
"Father, do you remember the last time we went to Sydney together? Tarik got the hotel location wrong that time, he's always been so careless." Xifu chuckled.
"Mm," Xiang Xueyuan replied before shifting his gaze to Xia Qingyu, "Qingyu, why haven't you been speaking? Is the food not to your taste?"
"Eat without speaking, sleep without talking," Xia Qingyu replied, then continued eating.
Xiang Xueyuan looked at Xia Qingyu's profile, his gaze deepening. Was Xia Qingyu going to maintain this attitude for the rest of the time?
"Eat without speaking, sleep without talking?" Xifu repeated Xia Qingyu's words, then naturally leaned towards Tarik, "What does that mean?"
"It means eat properly and shut your mouth," Tarik shot Xifu a glance, Xifu was particularly noisy today.
"Hate you!" Xifu puffed out her cheeks, acting娇俏 and coquettishly towards Xiang Xueyuan, "Father, look at him!"
"Haha, eat your meal," Xiang Xueyuan looked at Xia Qingyu and said, "After dinner, I'll take you somewhere."
"I don't want to go out," Xia Qingyu directly refused.
"You will definitely like it there," Xiang Xueyuan's gaze deepened.
He wasn't going to play the game of father-daughter affection with Xia Qingyu anymore.
It was a bit late to start cultivating their relationship now.
Since that was the case, he might as well take Xia Qingyu to see the shock of the crystals with her own eyes, to let her know what remarkable technology she possessed.
At that time, Xia Qingyu would naturally surrender completely, just as he had.
In the face of absolute strength, humans could only have the option of surrendering and being impressed.
"Don't speak too soon," Xia Qingyu pierced a piece of cod with her fork and chewed it slowly.
Xiang Xueyuan had never interacted with her, so how could he know what she would like?
In this world, the only one she would definitely like was her sister.
"Father, you wouldn't be..." Xifu frowned, a hint of panic appearing in her eyes.
Was Father going to take Xia Qingyu to the underground laboratory?
On what grounds!
Xia Qingyu was just an outsider with a blood relation who had suddenly appeared in their home.
Blood relation was the most unreliable thing.
Otherwise, she and Tarik wouldn't have ended up there, living like beasts for so long.
Xia Qingyu had been here for less than 24 hours, and Father was going to take her to such an important place?
"Eat without speaking, sleep without talking," Xiang Xueyuan said this and fell silent.
Xifu bit her lip and wanted to argue, but Tarik warned her with a look.
Xifu also knew that no one could change what her adoptive father had decided.
If she continued, it would only displease her adoptive father.
However, she was truly unwilling!
In the end, Xifu could only glare at Xia Qingyu covertly.
Xia Qingyu felt inexplicable by Xifu's glare.
That darn place, it wasn't like she wanted to go.
Didn't she already refuse?
Why glare at her?
As if she cared so much, how ridiculous.
After Tarik stopped Xifu, he cast a sidelong glance at Xia Qingyu.
Xia Qingyu was his adoptive father's biological daughter. Xia Qingyu would eventually get to know the secret empire his adoptive father had built.
It was just that he hadn't expected his adoptive father to reveal it to Xia Qingyu so soon.
Did this also prove that Xia Qingyu's abilities were recognized by her adoptive father?
Xia Qingyu, oh Xia Qingyu...
Tarik's gaze towards Xia Qingyu grew more intense.
He also looked forward to the shocked expression on Xia Qingyu's face after seeing the crystals.
If possible, she should stay willingly like this.
Stay by his side.
How wonderful that would be...
Xia Qingyu didn't enjoy the meal.
Although the food was delicious, the atmosphere at the table was too strange.
Xifu's gaze towards her was filled with hatred, Xiang Xueyuan's confident and victorious expression was also annoying, but what made Xia Qingyu most uneasy was Tarik's gaze.
This guy looked like he wanted to devour her... was it necessary? She had only thrown him out.
She had given Tarik a chance to choose, and Tarik himself didn't cherish it.
Besides, Tarik had snatched the pearl her sister had given her first!
She had even helped Tarik when he was afraid of thunder!
Tch, ungrateful fellow, he deserved to be thrown!
Finally, after finishing dinner, Xiang Xueyuan took Tarik and Xia Qingyu out.
"Father!" Xifu, who was left behind, looked at Xiang Xueyuan with wronged teary blue eyes.
"Xifu, you rest well," Xiang Xueyuan said with a smile, "We'll be back soon, be good."
Xifu then bit her lip unwillingly and nodded dully.
Xia Qingyu didn't want to go, but Xiang Xueyuan had never been someone easy to talk to, so she had no choice but to brace herself and get into the car under Xifu's hateful gaze.
After leaving the villa, the car drove north along the coastline. Xia Qingyu frowned at the route, where were they going?
Going further would mean driving out of Helsinki, wouldn't it?
"Qingyu, put on the eye mask and take a short nap," Xiang Xueyuan handed Xia Qingyu a black eye mask.
"Tch, you're afraid I'll remember the way, right?" Xia Qingyu scoffed, took the eye mask Xiang Xueyuan handed over, and put it on, muttering irritably, "If you're so secretive, why not just not bring me?"
As soon as she finished speaking, a wave of dizziness washed over her. Xia Qingyu then realized with hindsight that Xiang Xueyuan's "take a short nap" was not a suggestion but a foregone conclusion.
Her head lolled, and Xia Qingyu fainted.
Seeing Xia Qingyu fall asleep like that, Xiang Xueyuan revealed a faint smile and said, "Being so defenseless, she's so much like her mother."
Beside him, Tarik listened silently, not replying.